There seems to be conflicting information about this season’s Spanish strawberry crop. On one hand, it is clear that the high temperatures recorded in late 2015/very early 2016 have resulted in around 35-40% of the 300,000MT crop being harvested already, and this has according to some reports, pushed prices downwards by some 15%.

Following the dramatic falls seen in Castor markets in the first month of this year, February saw the market downtrend slowing somewhat with prices falling by only $25/MT over the course of the month. As we enter March prices have again fallen as seed arrivals have picked up as we near the peak arrival season to sit at $895/MT FOB at present, just above 10-year lows.

Czech poppy has enjoyed two good crops in 2014 and 2015 (23-24,000 tons and 25-26,000 tons respectively) and, when this is combined with generally poor demand, prices have unsurprisingly declined, and they look as if they could fall further.

All US production has declined by 1.5% to 19.3M boxes, which itself is a reduction of 7.9% from last season’s final production. The extent of the on-going decline in Grapefruit production can be seen by the fact that the February 2016 forecast represents a 33% decline since 2012-2013.

For further information on the Grapefruit Market or to read the full FDL Juices Market Intelligence Report, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On 19th February 2016 Highlander Partners, L.P., a leading middle market private investment firm based in Dallas, Texas, announced the acquisition of Fuerst Day Lawson Holdings Limited ("FDL") in partnership with Chief Executive Officer Mac Mardi.

While the ownership has changed, FDL's commitment to customers remains stronger than ever. We look forward to working with our new partners to accelerate our positive momentum in the marketplace—driving growth by better understanding our customers’ needs and providing differentiation through product innovation and customer service.

Over the course of last week, the US Dollar strengthened against a range of currencies – particularly those of emerging markets – although the US Dollar/Chinese renmimbi rate was essentially stable. The trend of a generally strong Dollar is expected to continue for some time yet: after a decline of 5.75% over the last year, renmimbi speculation appears to be moving to the forward market arena, with the Chinese currency quoted at 6.90 to the Dollar 12 months forward.

With only 6 days to go until Food Ingredients Europe in Paris, we at FDL are very much looking forward to seeing you there! We will be showcasing some exciting product launches with live NPD food demos on our stand.

Catering for the Bakery, Dairy, Confectionery and Beverage sectors - There really be will something for everyone! So please visit us on STAND 6P42 and grab a coffee and freshly baked muffin to discuss how FDL can help your product development!

For further information please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.